Broadcasters lining up big shows to reel in advertisers

Mumbai: Broadcasters are lining up marquee properties to tap into pre-festive and festive season audiences and revive ad revenues after consecutive quarters of muted spending, even as viewership remains robust, said industry experts.

Sony Pictures Networks India launched the 17th season of its flagship quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati on August 11, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. The network will follow up with Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent, returning after two years. It also holds rights to the Asia Cup cricket tournament, which will feature the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash next month.

JioStar premiered the 19th season of Bigg Boss Hindi on August 24, debuting on JioHotstar at 9 pm before airing on Colors later at 10:30 pm. Regional editions are also lined up, with Bigg Boss Malayalam 7 launched on August 3 and Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions scheduled to start between September and October.

Zee TV is betting on differentiated formats with shows such as rural reality series Chhoriyan Chali Gaon and talk show Kahaani Har Ghar Ki. “While non-fiction brings in new audiences, fiction builds loyalty,” said Raghavendra Hunsur, chief content officer, Zee Entertainment.

He added that Zee is making large investments in weekend non-fiction across its regional network and will launch the celebrity chat show in the fourth quarter on Zee TV.

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Industry observers note that non-fiction formats help attract family audiences beyond the core female base and are strong drivers of reach and monetisation. Fiction remains the staple of general entertainment, but non-fiction adds variety and boosts engagement.The programming slate is strategically timed around the pre-festive and festive season, when advertising spikes. Media agencies estimate that 50-55% of India’s annual ad expenditures, projected at ₹1.1-1.5 lakh crore, are concentrated in the second half of the year.A senior industry executive said the TV sector has been under pressure from reduced FMCG advertising. However, the government’s move to simplify GST into two slabs and provide income tax relief is expected to spur consumption and ad growth. “FMCG, auto and paints are some of the categories likely to spend big this season,” the executive said.Mahesh Shetty, head of revenue, entertainment, JioStar, said the early festive response has been encouraging, with Bigg Boss Hindi signing 11 sponsors and more in advanced talks. He said government initiatives such as income tax relief and the move towards a simplified two-slab GST structure are likely to increase disposable incomes and improve affordability across categories.

“As consumption gains momentum, brands looking to build scale will step up advertising investments, which should further accelerate growth,” he said.

Shetty added that television continues to be a powerful medium for brand building. “Impact properties deliver quick reach, high engagement and integration, and can make a huge difference for new brand launches,” he said.

Executives at both JioStar and Zee have indicated in recent earnings calls that the festive season is expected to lift advertising on entertainment channels.

Navin Khemka, president, client solutions, WPP Media South Asia, said advertising activity will also begin earlier this year with Diwali falling on October 21.

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